The National Prosecuting Authority's Asset Forfeiture Unit in Mpumalanga has obtained a provisional restraint order over assets estimated at R99 million that it links to an alleged taxi boss and others allegedly involved in organised criminal activity, including extortion. The NPA announced the order on Friday 30 October.
The order was granted in the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Middelburg under section 26 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. The report of the NPA statement we reviewed does not name the alleged taxi boss or the other defendants. Anyone accused is presumed innocent, and the order is provisional.
The assets covered
The NPA said the order covers properties in exclusive golf estates in Centurion, several houses and estate properties in Centurion and Pretoria, and luxury vehicles including Ferraris, a Porsche, a Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW vehicles. The defendants must also surrender bank accounts and investments to a court-appointed curator.
What a restraint order means
The NPA said the order was granted on the basis that the assets are “realisable property” and benefits allegedly derived from crime. It stems from ongoing police investigations into alleged extortion and related offences. A provisional restraint order is meant to preserve assets while a case proceeds; it is not a conviction and not a final forfeiture finding.
